Max Verstappen usually makes headlines for doing something outrageous on track, but this time, he hasn’t even turned a racing lap, and yet the noise is already getting loud. A growing rumor out of Germany has put the F1 and endurance racing worlds right in the middle of a scheduling headache.
The spark came after Winward Racing confirmed it would compete in this year’s Nürburgring 24 Hours as the Mercedes-AMG Performance Team, and it set the stage for Verstappen’s potential entry into the iconic endurance race.
Max Verstappen Triggered a Calendar Problem
According to a report from Motorsport Total, Verstappen has already received approval from Red Bull Racing, Mercedes-AMG, and even the Red Bull parent company, and the only thing standing in the way now is a basic requirement that Verstappen must compete in at least one Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS) race before the 24-hour event.
That is where things get complicated, as every NLS round currently clashes with the F1 calendar, including the season opener on March 14, which overlaps with the Chinese Grand Prix. Mercedes-AMG has officially requested that the NLS delay that opening race by one week, and the proposed new date of March 21 would slot between the Chinese and Japanese Grands Prix.
NLS boss Mike Jäger has confirmed the request exists but has also made it clear that nothing has been approved yet. However, the fact that such a request is being discussed at all has raised eyebrows across motorsport about Verstappen’s influence.
The story does not stop with endurance racing, as Mercedes’s involvement has naturally fueled speculation on the F1 side, especially after Toto Wolff reportedly backed the idea of making Verstappen’s Nürburgring appearance possible.
For many fans, this feels more than just a one-off endurance outing. Social media quickly filled with jokes about Mercedes moving mountains to impress Verstappen, as one fan said, “Mercedes is literally rearranging the calendar just to take Max on a date. This isn’t just a race entry; it’s the most expensive courtship ritual in motorsport history.”
One fan is openly wondering if this is part of a longer-term plan by Wolff and Mercedes, “Boss move from these guys. And no way in hell they would do that if there wouldn’t be talks about the possibility of Max driving for Mercedes in his career.”
Another fan mentioned about Verstappen’s influence in the motorsport world, “he got rivals moving like this for him and i’m supposed to believe he has no influence.”
While another fan just bluntly admitted that Wolff is desperate for Verstappen to join his F1 team and considers this a courtship move, “This is courtship, Toto really wants Max.”
On the sporting side, Verstappen is clearly taking this seriously as he recently completed extensive testing in a Mercedes-AMG GT3 at Portimao, putting in lap after lap to get used to the car.
The rumored driver lineup also suggests that this is no casual project, as DTM runner-up Lucas Auer is believed to be part of the plan, alongside experienced names like Jules Gounon and Daniel Juncadella. Verstappen has also been linked again with sim racer Chris Lulham, with whom he has already tasted success at the Nürburgring.
